My first introduction to Demiricous was listening to their debut ONE (HELLBOUND). I and many others at the time considered it a solid - if somewhat unoriginal, thrash metal album. The band basically mimicked REIGN IN BLOOD era Slayer to a tee, so much so that had Tom Araya been singing you would have hailed it as the best Slayer album in years. Tom didn’t and Demiricous were left wondering where to go to from there. Had they continued, TWO (POVERTY) would have most likely been another rehash but the band did what they felt would lead to greater credibility and they have diversified their sound in the hope of finding their own style.

“Expression Of Immunity To God”, “Celebration Of Damage” and “Acid Lung” hark back to the debut, but the band add a bit of groove here and there to create an album which offers listeners a few more dimensions. “Tusk And Claw” and “Never Enough Road” work well but I get the feeling that Demiricous sound a little awkward and uncomfortable with the change to their style. I also have the feeling that the band wanted to cut loose in places and go nuts but have kept themselves in check so as to not incur any more Slayer comparisons.

Demiricous are at their best when the music is a balls-out, over-the-top speed fest. It might not be original but it’s a lot of fun and highly entertaining. It’s what the band was made for at this stage of their careers so they should simply follow their instincts. Change should happen naturally so that it sounds seamless and natural. Demiricous should chill and let it happen when it happens.

TWO (POVERTY) may not be what I was hoping for but that’s cool because there’s always next time.